Nalu: A New Tale
by naluhedgehogs
Summary: Neither Natsu nor Lucy knew what to expect when they encountered each other in a dark forest of Fiore. However, knowing them, it would be quite an adventure! Beware - occasional bouts of awing are ahead. You have been warned.
1. A new tale

**Hello everyone! I know it has been a long time since I have updated this story but today I was struck by inspiration. So, I decided to re-do it. Thank you to everyone who has stayed with this story through it all, and I hope you all love the new adventure. It will be wild, it will be fun, and, of course, it will be fluffy! So, to the new story!**

 **~nh**


	2. Chapter 1: Meeting

Hello everyone! I hope you all enjoy my new story! Let's get into it!

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Off in a forest somewhere in Fiore, a small girl quivered behind the cover of dense bushes. Her dusty pink dress was tattered, face caked in dirt, streaked with eternities of long-dried tearstains. Clutching onto her knees, she willed her heart to be still as the forest echoed with the distinct crashes of footsteps. Holding her breath as they drew nearer, she let out a quiet gasp as the barrier of bushes shook and a body fell through in a tumble.

"Ouch" it moaned, rolling off of its back, before glancing towards the girl. The boy, about her age, rubbed his hand through his matted pink hair before sending her a toothy grin. She looked at him with timid eyes, before curling into herself and beginning to sob.

Panic filled the boy's eyes as he rushed to push himself up. "oye, are you okay? I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare ya! Please don't cry!" he motioned around frantically, patting desperately at his pockets, before pulling out a small object. Approaching her slowly, he carefully tapped her shoulder. "Um, here!" he said, and she cautiously looked up at him. He extended his hand, dirty and scratched to her, and in his palm sat a small wrapped candy. Seeing the small strawberry printed on the wrapper, she felt the corner of her mouth angle upwards and she reached out and took it. The boy grinned at her, sitting down on the dirt.

"Its all that I have but I hope its okay with you. Um, are you alright?" The girl shook her blonde hair slightly, looking down at the candy in her hand. She attempted to twist at the small ties on the sides but winced. The boy, glancing at her hands, gasped noticing the bleeding scratches on her fingers and quickly grabbed the candy from her, unwrapping it. "Here, open up!" He said. She nodded, opening her lips slightly as the boy pushed it into her mouth. The sweet flavor, something that she hadn't had for as long as she remembered, felt warm and she couldn't help but smile slightly. "Hey, you smiled!" The boy said brightly, drawing himself on his hands and knees closer to her face. Her eyes widened and she backed up.

Noticing her discomfort, he sat back. "What happened to you anyway? Why are you out here by yourself?" The girl glanced at him, looking reluctant but let out a breath. "I'm hiding," she replied in a small voice, slightly distorted by the sweet in her mouth. The boy quirked his brow. "From who?"

She chewed quietly for a moment, before reluctantly swallowing the candy. She probably wouldn't get one again, but she felt that, in the moment, her speech was more important. "I'm hiding from my dad. Those big men have been after me, he sent them." The boy's eyes widened. "What big men? Why would your dad do that?" She shook her head, eyes trained on the ground. "My dad doesn't care for me. He doesn't want me anymore. He says I took mama away from him. He hit me. So I ran. I couldn't stay there anymore. But he didn't want to let me get away. He sent those big men after me, in big black suits. They have been following me, trying to send me back. But I cant go back. I just cant." She began to sniff again, and the boy enveloped her in a big hug. Though taken aback, she felt as if she was veiled in a fiery warmth and instead drew herself further into his arms.

"I cant believe that someone would do this to you. I wont let them get you. Ever." She felt her heart warm at his words, but pulled back from him. "Why?" she asked, looking at him softly. "Why would you want to help me? You don't know me, you could just leave me like everyone else. You could just leave me here alone" She trailed off, playing with the frayed hem of her dress. The boy reached out and grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him. "I could never leave someone who needs help. I could never just leave someone like that alone. Nobody deserves to be left alone." She could almost see the fire burning in his eyes, and she reached out and took his hand, ignoring the burning in her fingertips. "Thank you um.." she stopped, and he grinned down at her. "Natsu. My name is Natsu."

She smiled back at him. "Nat..su" she repeated slowly, and he felt his ears burn slightly. Her smile brightened even more. "Natsu! My name is L…" she was cut off by a sharp thundering of feet, watching in horror as a group of black-clad men burst through the bushes.  
"Stop right there, little _princess._ " One man snarled, biting the last word out sharply. "Don't you dare move one more step." Natsu stepped protectively in front of her, crossing his arms. "You go away! Nobody gets to touch her!" He roared, causing the men to laugh. "You think you can protect her you brat? You don't even know who you are dealing with!" Another man cackled. Natsu felt himself grow warmer. "She is my friend! I wont let you hurt her, no matter what." He felt the flames around him rise, and he allowed his fist to become engulfed. The girl watched in wonder as he leapt towards the men, sending burst of flames around him forcing them back. However, the men only grinned. The man on his left cackled as he summoned hundreds of pointed vines forth, wrapping them around the boy, who attempted in vain to burn them off with his flames. The man on his right to a sharp intake of breath, before letting forth a sharp gust of wind that blew out the remaining embers. Natsu let out a sharp cry of pain as the vines continued to engulf him, causing the girl to let out a scream.

"Enough! Please, please just let him go! I can't watch this anymore!" she cried. The men froze, watching her. "What do you want from us little princess?" One man snarled evilly. "You want us to let him go?" She nodded, responding "I will go with you. Let him free now." Walking past the struggling boy, another man grabbed her wrist, signaling for him to be released. Natsu collapsed to the ground, shaking."No!" He gasped, attempting to push himself from the ground. "Don't let them take you! I will protect you, ju.."

He couldn't finish, as another dark figure kicked him to the ground again. "Shut up you brat. She is going far away. And you will never see her again."

Natsu looked up with hazy eyes as they began to drag her away. She glanced back, eyes filled with tears, before turning away, seemingly whispering to herself. As they vanished into the darkness, Natsu noticed a small hint of light glowing from beside him. Glancing down, in his last haze of consciousness, he saw a small bottle paired with a key lying on the dirt beside him. The small key glowed golden, and then everything went dark.

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I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Please favorite and review this chapter and let me know what you think! I love hearing from all of you! Follow if you are interested! Thanks for reading, chapter 2 coming soon!

~nh


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